My Valentine to YOU.

I know a lot of people hate on Valentine's Day. Many of them are single, or people who hate being pressured into buying stuff to show that they love someone. At least one of these people I know is a 12 year old boy. Those who dis the day express this as hatred toward a corporate, manufactured or retail holiday, or at least one filled with societal or relationship pressures.

The feast of St. Valentine has been associated with a time that people express romantic love for more than 300 years. So it's not a recently made-up thing. Maybe relatively recent, but then, by that measurement, so's America. If you want to go after completely made-up holidays, let's attack Hallowe'en, which is only a thing because it falls on the day before a Church holiday. Or Christmas, which is where it is because the early church wanted converts. Or what about Mother's Day, which isn't even 100 years old? And don't even get me started on Kwanzaa, President's Day, or Cinco de Mayo.

The day means something because we decide that it does. That's all, and that's any day; Vikings would probably be pretty upset about our piss-poor observance of Thor's Day, for instance. No one's going to make you participate in this. And let me be especially clear on this: If they do, they THEY ARE WRONG. If you're buying a bunch of shit because you feel like you have to, then you are either a tool or in a passively manipulative-to-borderline abusive relationship. GET OUT NOW. Run. Come to my house, we'll counsel you and you can live in the basement. Societal and relationship pressures are bullshit, too. No one knows what you need better than you do. Go get it. Or not. Either do stuff with holidays because it's fun and you want to, or don't. It's really pretty much that simple. Mostly, though, for Cupid's sake, shut up.

You can lament commercialization if you want to, but I wouldn't. No one cares. Look around you. Selling this holiday begins right after the previous one. I saw a St. Paddy's ad on TV last night. Lamenting commercialization in America is about as useful as me trying to clean my house using my fucking mind powers. Going on fifteen years, and I still can't move stuff with my brain. Go figure.

If you are capable of hating the day with a sense of humor and moving on, then my missive is not for you. The rest of you, I'm going to have to ask you to get the fuck over yourselves and seriously, shut up. You're a fart in an elevator for people who would otherwise be having a lovely day.

Comments

My Valentine to YOU.

I know a lot of people hate on Valentine's Day. Many of them are single, or people who hate being pressured into buying stuff to show that they love someone. At least one of these people I know is a 12 year old boy. Those who dis the day express this as hatred toward a corporate, manufactured or retail holiday, or at least one filled with societal or relationship pressures.

The feast of St. Valentine has been associated with a time that people express romantic love for more than 300 years. So it's not a recently made-up thing. Maybe relatively recent, but then, by that measurement, so's America. If you want to go after completely made-up holidays, let's attack Hallowe'en, which is only a thing because it falls on the day before a Church holiday. Or Christmas, which is where it is because the early church wanted converts. Or what about Mother's Day, which isn't even 100 years old? And don't even get me started on Kwanzaa, President's Day, or Cinco de Mayo.

The day means something because we decide that it does. That's all, and that's any day; Vikings would probably be pretty upset about our piss-poor observance of Thor's Day, for instance. No one's going to make you participate in this. And let me be especially clear on this: If they do, they THEY ARE WRONG. If you're buying a bunch of shit because you feel like you have to, then you are either a tool or in a passively manipulative-to-borderline abusive relationship. GET OUT NOW. Run. Come to my house, we'll counsel you and you can live in the basement. Societal and relationship pressures are bullshit, too. No one knows what you need better than you do. Go get it. Or not. Either do stuff with holidays because it's fun and you want to, or don't. It's really pretty much that simple. Mostly, though, for Cupid's sake, shut up.

You can lament commercialization if you want to, but I wouldn't. No one cares. Look around you. Selling this holiday begins right after the previous one. I saw a St. Paddy's ad on TV last night. Lamenting commercialization in America is about as useful as me trying to clean my house using my fucking mind powers. Going on fifteen years, and I still can't move stuff with my brain. Go figure.

If you are capable of hating the day with a sense of humor and moving on, then my missive is not for you. The rest of you, I'm going to have to ask you to get the fuck over yourselves and seriously, shut up. You're a fart in an elevator for people who would otherwise be having a lovely day.